Carrier for pneumatic-dispatch tubes



May 6 1924. 1,492,734

J. G. MACLAREN CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBES Filed Feb. 24. 1921 Patented May 6, i924.

FATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. MACLAREN, )F MAMABONECK, NEW YORK.

CARRIER FO'R PNEUMATIC-DISPATCH TUBES.

Application filed February 24-, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, JAMES G. MACLAREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mam-aroneck, in the county of vVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Tm rovements in Carriers for PneumaticD1spatch Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carriers for use in pneumatic dispatch tube systems.

In modern department store pneumatic dispatch installations there is a rapidly in creasing demand for carriers adapted to traverse the tube lines and to carry credit or other memoranda slips so arranged and held that they can be classified and distributed to the proper authorizing clerks with the greatest possible speed and with a minimum degree of manipulation. The ordinary carrier used in such installations comprises a short cylindrical casing designed primarily for use in making cash transactions and requiring the opening of the carriers and the removal of the credit slips for examination, and the replacement of the slips in the carriers by the classifying clerks, before they were distributed to the authorizing clerks.

In the present invention a carrier is provided for use in pneumatic dispatch tubes which is specially constructed to hold a folded credit slip in such manner that the information needed by the classifying clerk for distributing the slips to the proper authorizers is instantly available for examination without a preliminary opening or other manipulation of the carrier. Preferably the memorandum slip is held in place by a simple spring clip construction and can be readily released for the use of the authorizing clerks and as readily reinserted in place in the carrier for re-dispatch to the customers station.

In the drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a carrier embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the car rier illustrated in Figure 1 and showing the device in both its open and its closed positions.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing a slip held in place in the carrier.

Referring to the drawings for a more deshown.

Serial No. 447,4.

tailed description of the device, two end members consisting of the felt bufiers 1 are shown which are proportioned to the size and conformation .of the tubes in which the carrier is to be used. The buffers 1 are attached in any suitable manner to the metal foundation plates 2 which are in turn attached to the opposite ends of the elongated U-shaped frame member 3 and which is adapted to serve as a support for a folded memorandum slip 4 as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawing.

In order to hold a slip in place on the frame member 3 a clip member 5 is provided which is hinged in a yoke 6 carried by the left-hand end of the frame member as The clip member 5 can be swung to a raised inoperative position or to a lowered operative position as indicated in Figure 2 and is held in either position by the action of the flat spring 7, attached to the frame memher 3 and bearing on either of two flat faces of the block or bearing member 8 in which the clip member 5 is directly carried.

In operation a credit slip, so folded that the name of the customer is uppermost, has its right hand end inserted in the slot 9 provided in the frame member 3, the left hand end of the slip bearing the initial letter of the customers name being laid on the frame member 3 in a position to underlie the open clip member 5 in the lowered or closed position thereof. The clip, which has been raised to permit of the placing of the slip in position, is now lowered into contact with the slip and, through the action of the spring 7 referred to, serves to clamp the slip securely against the upper surface of the frame member 3. Preferably a guard member 10 is provided which protects and accommodates the ends of slips of various lengths.

It will be seen that with the construction described credit slips are securely held in condition to be conveyed through dispatch tubes and in position to be quickly examined for classification according to the names or other information contained therein, and without any manipulation of the carrier or the slip holding means.

What I claim is:

1. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal buffer members, an intermediate memorandum slip supporting member attached at its ends to said terminal members, and means for clamping memorandum slips against said supporting member in position for ready inspection.

2. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal buffer members, an elongated flat memorandum slip supporting member attached at its ends to said termi nal members, and means for clamping memorandum slips against said supporting member in a display position.

3. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal buffer members, an elongated flat memorandum slip supporting member attached at its ends to said terminal members, said supporting member being provided with a slot near one end for receiving and holding one end of a slip, and means mounted near the other end of the supporting member for clamping the slip against said supporting member.

4:. A carrier tor pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal buffer members, an elongated fiat memorandum slip supporting member attached at its oppositeends to said terminal members, said supporting member being provided with a slot near one end for receiving and holding one end of a slip, and a clip pivotally mounted near the other end of the supporting member and adapted to be swung into position to clamp the slip against the supporting member.

5. A. carrier for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal buffer members, an elongated fiat memorandum slip supporting member attached at its opposite ends to said terminal members, said supporting member being provided with a slot near one end "for receiving and holding one end of a slip, a clip pivotally mounted near the other end oi the supporting member and adapted to be swung into position to clamp the slip against the supporting member, and spring means for holding said clip either in its raised or its lowered clamping position.

6. A carrier for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising terminal bu'liler members, an elongated flat memorandum slip supporting member attached at its opposite ends to said terminal members, said supporting member being provided with a slot near one end for receiving and holding one end of a slip, a skeleton clip member pivotally mounted near the other end of the supporting member and adapted to be swung into position to clamp the slip against the supporting member, the skeleton construction of the clip affording examination of the clamped slip, spring means for holding said clip in clamping position, and guard means for protecting the end of the slip projecting through said slot.

JAMES G. MACLAREN. 

